Trump Is Moving Relentlessly Toward Illegal War in Venezuela

"As the Trump administration continues to murder people in small boats on the high seas and mounts the largest U.S. military buildup in decades in the Caribbean, it is moving inexorably toward an all-out, illegal attack and forcible regime change in Venezuela. Despite Team Trump's feeble attempts to legally justify its ocean strikes, which have now killed 57 people since early September, those extrajudicial killings are also unlawful."

"Donald Trump's murderous campaign came into focus on February 20, when the State Department designated eight drug trafficking organizations, including Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations. Although the administration has attempted - so far unsuccessfully - to use that designation to justify sending immigrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador, Trump is now invoking it in an effort to validate his illegal strikes at sea."

"Moreover, on March 15, Trump issued "A Proclamation," alleging that Tren de Aragua has been engaged, in association with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in "irregular warfare" in the United States, with no explanation of what is meant by irregular warfare. But on February 26, most U.S. intelligence agencies had made a finding that Tren de Aragua was neither controlled by the Venezuelan government, nor was it committing crimes in the United States on its orders."

The Trump administration has carried out lethal maritime strikes that killed 57 people and is mounting a significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean aimed at Venezuela. The administration designated eight drug trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including Tren de Aragua, and is invoking that designation to justify strikes and deportations. A presidential proclamation accused Tren de Aragua of engaging in "irregular warfare" alongside Nicolás Maduro despite intelligence finding the group was not controlled by the Venezuelan government or acting on its orders. One strike was openly framed as a message rather than an interdiction, signaling intent toward forcible regime change.

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